Hire help to keep your nurses efficient

Although I urge using nurses and other assistants to handle tasks that help the doctor see more patients, be careful about bogging down the nurses which, in turn, slows the doctor down. Seeing as many patients as possible during office hours—without compromising the quality of each visit—may require a part-time or full-time diagnostic technician or other special assistant to keep your regular nurses efficient.

If you worry about the cost of yet another staffer, try this:

• List all the diagnostic testing done in your office.
• List the expected number of tests per hour.
• Evaluate the data you collect against patient flow.

By taking these steps you may uncover some surprising data that will help you determine what sort of extra help can free up your nurses.